


Burn

by Nesi23



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Fix-It, Slight Non Graphic Pain and Knife Play, There will be a happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-03
Updated: 2016-06-05
Packaged: 2018-07-12 02:35:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7081270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nesi23/pseuds/Nesi23
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shaw goes with Lionel, and discovers Root's body, later on she sees Root again.</p><p>Is she real or not?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [T_Ninja](https://archiveofourown.org/users/T_Ninja/gifts).



> So guys this is my fix it and this thing will have a happy ending I assure you, I will be posting part two tomorrow.

Before the dust settles your heart is left pounding. One in the hospital? It beats erratically and you have to see for yourself. 

“I’ll go to the hospital” Fusco says and before John can say anything you make your own decision “I’ll come with” 

They both eye you wearily until you grab Fusco’s keys and make your way to his car “If you don’t hurry up I’ll leave your ass right here”

You don’t wait to see the look on their faces or if hear if they have anything to say, in all honesty you don’t care. You only have one priority on your mind right now. If it turns out to be Finch in the hospital and not Root, you’ll be relieved.

You don’t know if that should make you feel guilty but honestly you don’t. Actually you feel kind of pissed. You may not have been around when they were having their arguments but Root vents to you about his stubbornness when she comes home. 

Well home for now. One of her many safe houses. You let her take you to bed and she’d just lay next to you and talk you to sleep literally, then she’d leave. No boundaries were pushed and she didn’t make to touch you in the bed, though she laid close enough you could see every detail of her face and feel the warmth radiating from her body. 

And you hope to god that is not what you find in this hospital. The scent of both sickness and medicinal drugs hit you. The sight of blood and crying people along with those who just seem tired. And boy you do not miss this place one bit. 

A place you used to find calming, now seems unnerving. Countless thoughts running through your mind and your stomach clenches in a way you’ve never felt before similar to the to the unfamiliar tightening in your chest. 

You tap your foot impatiently as Fusco flashes his badge to get you guys through, however this conversation seems too long, and you know something’s wrong.

Even before you decent your way to the morgue, the soles of you feet feeling heavier with every step. You try to hold your breath until your lungs burn. You don’t go in because you can’t but Fusco does. 

It’s the longest five to ten seconds of your life as he makes his way in and then pulls back the white sheet. Your heart is no longer pounding but has now completely stopped altogether. You can’t see her face but you know her form and the beautiful tresses of her hair. 

But when he does eventually step back to give you a sympathetic look you want to punch it right off his face. But instead you look at hers, pale and drained of life though her eyes, oh those beautiful eyes, still seem to somehow glow. 

You take in a much needed gulp of air before looking back to Fusco and you give him a nod. He presses his lips to her forehead, closes her eyes and whispers something you can’t hear before covering her once more. 

The doctor comes out and pats your shoulder briefly, it takes all of your will power not to break her hand. Instead you march out and leave Fusco calling behind you. 

You honestly don’t hear a word he says but all you know is you need air, like a lot of it. This place feels like its sucking all of the oxygen straight from your lungs. 

You quicken your pace as Fusco scrambles behind you, you stop so abruptly that he does bump into you. You turn around and mutters your empty thanks before telling him you’ll walk home. 

He doesn’t want to leave you because he knows its not safe but one look into your eyes and he knows. Whatever emotion you were trying to conceal your eyes betray you. He tells you to keep to the shadow map and you nod before taking off on your long walk. 

You find a bar, anyone really, you don’t care. You take out a twenty that you picked up from one of the goons earlier and plop it down on the counter. You order whiskey and tell him make it double. 

Throughout the night you drink to your heart’s content, and some more, and then some. You want to be so wasted right now that you can’t form a coherent thought, that way you won’t think of her. But no matter how much you drink you still do.

For a while you curse your strong resistance against alcohol, every other time you admired it but right now you don’t want it to exist. It numbs everything but the painful pang in your chest. 

Some idiot decides to approach you and before he even utters a word you break his nose with a punch to the face. The bartender gets angry then and tries to shoo you out, but you resist. You knock him out cold before grabbing three bottles full from behind the counter and make your way out the door, but not before you take the asshole’s money. 

You soon discover that you can’t actually stand up straight and you’re dragging yourself against the wall for support, failing miserably until you collide with the floor. 

You curse to yourself as one of the bottles break and shards of glass embed themselves right above your brow and in your cheek. 

At the sight and scent at your own blood you wretch, bringing up all the alcohol you consumed early. Its an alarming amount. You drag yourself to sit up against the wall before cracking open another bottle rinsing your mouth and then taking another long drag. 

With whatever little sense you have left you search for your phone to call yourself a cab but there’s no need to. Two cop cars pull up to the scene.

You shield your eyes from the blinding bright lights. How did you not hear them wailing from a distance? 

And its Fusco. He shakes his head in disapproval but doesn’t utter any judgments. He simply helps you up as you hold on tight to your bottles. He tells the other officers that it’s okay he’ll take you and he does. 

You drive silently until he breaks it “You okay?” he asks and you can’t respond because you don’t know if you really are. Your head fells too foggy and it reminds you of your time with Samaritan, except this is a really cruel simulation. 

You start to wonder then, is this real? And the truth is, the answer is as the same before, you don’t know.

You see Fusco making to drive pass the park you first saw Root in again and you don’t think twice before opening the door and stepping out the moving car. But you don’t step so much as stumble and land on your face.

“Jesus Christ!” Fusco screeches to a halt before jumping out the car and coming to your side. 

You brush him off before stumbling into the park once again cursing as a second bottle breaks leaving you only with one. You only make it to a bench but that’s good enough, and Fusco joins you. 

“You know this is where I saw her again” you mumble drunkenly.

Fusco readily knows who you’re talking about and he doesn't say anything but he does nod to show you he’s listening. You’ve always thought it was easy to talk to Fusco no matter how extremely annoying he is.

“I didn’t know if it was real or not so..” you stumble over your words trying to make sense “I lied, told her it was true but it wasn’t” 

He looks a little confused now “You pushed her away” he supplies and you nod. That’s exactly what you did. Well at first. 

“It was my first instinct” you admit.

He reluctantly leaves you after that, after you ask. Giving you the space you need. 

The endless thoughts make you hurl again, and your throat burns as you wash the sourness out your mouth once more. 

You lay your head back against the bench then open your eyes and crane your neck to the left and you laugh humorlessly. “What kind of a sick joke is this” because there you see Root sitting not too far from you on the bench.

“First simulations, now you’re a figment of my imagination” your voice cold and bitter as you force more alcohol into your body. 

“I’m no figment sweetie” figure Root responds and you shake your head with a scowl but also a sadistic smile.

“Of course you are, you’re not real” you drawl waving your finger in figment Root’s face. 

“You know it’s bad enough, when I had you I didn’t really want you and then when I was gone you were all I wanted.” There is pain in your voice and you just can’t stop the words from tumbling out. You’ve never heard yourself like this before and it freaks you out.

“It’s the same thing all over again” you whisper more to yourself. 

Figment Root moves to interlace your fingers “Our fight is not over Sameen, and when it is, maybe someday, you can have me” 

You hear every word and look at your hands but you can’t feel hers, she’s just a figment. You nod “I need to get my shit together” trying to stand but you fall back on the bench.

“You’re a strong girl Sameen, you’ll be okay” and for some weird reason figment Root makes you feel just a tiny bit better. 

You stare at her until you feel you head lulling and your eyes closing, you can see her moving in to peck your forehead but you don’t feel a thing. She pulls away and your eyes close leaving you in a world of darkness.

\---

You’re not sure if it’s hours or days later but you wake up in her bed. Your head is throbbing and you barely make it to the bathroom in time to puke your guts out. 

When you’re done, you go back to the bed feeling more confused. You don’t remember how you got here and you’re not sure what's real. You finally find your phone to see an abundance of calls and messages from everyone else but her and you know the events of yesterday are real. Suddenly you puke again. 

You don’t remember much beyond the bar. 

Figment Root must have been a dream, but as you walk across the bathroom mirror to make your way to the shower, you can see the faintest traces of lipstick on your forehead, not too far from the cut.

Your heart sinks to the ocean floor and you raise your hand to touch the mark leaving your fingers colored.

Maybe it was real after all, maybe she is alive.

There is a new determination inside of you, you’re going to burn this world down until you find her again, and this time you’re not letting her go.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated M for slight sexual content and also some slight non graphic pain and knife play going on.

After the dust settles there is only you and Fusco left standing, it’s ironic you think how John and Harold had been the ones to start this, yet here you are with Lionel, that has now finished this. 

Lionel cries but you don’t. You talked with John until he finally took his last breath telling you some of his secrets. It was quite amusing actually, whether it may be things in the past or things he wanted to do or even his thoughts. 

He went out trying to make his way to a dying Finch. Finch was a good man, but there is just a little resentful part of you that thinks that maybe if he had just listen to Root she would still be here and that makes you angry. But you know Finch is not one to harm people intently, especially the ones he considers close.

John made just a few feet away from him, just in time to see his eyes drift close, and then John followed not too long after from the many bullet wounds he had earned. One of them was meant for you, but he said he wouldn’t let you have this sacrifice, you weren’t going to be the dying hero this time. 

And then something even worse happened, he apologized. For not looking harder for you in the first place and nearly losing hope. You didn’t know how to respond to that but eventually you told him it wasn’t his fault and no hard feelings. 

And lastly he made you and Lionel to look out for each other, Lee, Bear and The Machine, because that would be what both him and Finch would want. 

You don’t remember much after that as you picked up a few bullets of your own so you assume you passed out from blood loss but you’re not dead. 

You open your eyes to see yourself strap to a bed and its way too familiar and you start freaking out you thrash around trying to get free, forcing the nurses to sedate you.

They leave you be as you drift, now calm and too numb to move, and there she is again. It’s Root. Glowing like some friken angel with a halo, but its just the bright lighting.

“Root?” you croak.

“Hey sweetie, rest up, you’re gonna need it” she kisses your forehead again and then she disappears. You assume its figment Root as you glance around and now you notice Fusco on a bed next to you.

He seems battered and bruised but he’s alive, and you crack a sliver of a smile, then you drift off again.

You wake up the next day and Fusco flashes his badge and covers for you. You have stay in this stinking bed, eating this shitty food for two days because they won’t let you leave. 

Sometimes you hear Lionel crying but you pretend to be asleep because you don’t know what else to do. But maybe you’re having it just as rough because your brain does not stop working. 

Every thought of past and present and what will be of the future torments your brain and you nearly rejoice every time they give you morphine, it stops the nagging in your head.

When they let you out Lionel drops you home but you invite him in for a beer, its the least you can do, especially since he allowed Bear to stay in his place letting Lee watch him for a couple days.

“I thought I saw her the other night” you admit to a drunken Lionel, rubbing Bear’s head where it rests on your thigh, feeling a bit tipsy yourself. 

“Cocoa Puffs?” he drawls and you turn to look sharply at him “Her name is Root” you growl and her raises his hands in surrender, “But yes Root” 

“Where?” he hiccups trying to make himself more comfortable on the couch but wincing when he pulls his stitches. 

You roll your eyes but get up to get the first aid kit, you wanna change your bandages anyway, they’re starting to itch. 

He pulls his shirt and you get to work with no protest just little hisses here and there.

“At the park after you left and the first night at the hospital” you inform him as you try to work on the last stitches.

He nods his head “You miss her” he points out. No shit Sherlock. But you don’t say anything because he knows, just like he knows the answers to the next question “You loved her too” he says in all seriousness pulling at his brows. 

You don’t answer that question either only finish off the last knot. 

He huff “So did you uh, have pet names for her too?” he tries to lighten the air and you allow him that one, as you smirk “God no” and he laughs. 

When you’re done he bids you goodnight and says he’ll check on you tomorrow promising you breakfast as well as a steak dinner.

You go to take a shower, turning the water scalding hot relishing the way it burns your skin. This may not be the reality you wanted but at least you know its real, all the pain grounding you.

After your shower you try to lay down watching some pointless thing on TV, drinking another beer having Bear curled up in your side but its not enough and suddenly you’re pissed the fuck off. You throw on your coat and boots before grabbing your handgun, a grenade and Bear before marching out the door.

From your apartment you find the most crowded place you see which happens to be on the corner of a convenience store and some food trucks and look into the nearest security camera. 

“Listen to me you son of a bitch, blink so I know you understand me.” And yeah okay maybe you shouldn’t talk like this to an artificial intelligence but right now you’re out of fucks to give.

However The Machine does blink and you nod your head satisfied “Okay I’m going to ask you a series of questions and you blink once for yes and two for no, clear?”

One blink.

“Good. First of all do you know who I am?”

One blink.

“Do you know who this is?” You points to Bear, he is an asset after all.

One blink.

“Do you remember what my team and I did for you a few days ago, so that you wouldn’t die?”

One blink. 

Okay enough with the games “Is she alive?” you ask.

No blinks. 

“Oh don’t play stupid you know damn well who I’m talking about.” you growl, still no response so you try a different question.

“Root, your analogue interface. Do you remember her?”

One blink.

“Have you replaced her?” 

Two blinks. 

You sigh exasperated “Look I saved your ass not once but twice in a big way so that you wouldn’t be destroyed, and before that I did plenty work for you! Plenty of good work. Because I understood your importance, I sacrificed myself to the enemy and for nine months they put me through living hell while you just sat there and watched until you sent that one fucking message. You owe me this much, just tell me where she is because I know she’s alive!” You can feel the strain in your own voice.

Nothing.

“Dammit please”

Still no response. 

Now you gets angry and you pull out your gun “Listen I have a grenade in my pocket and I will blow my surroundings into pieces if you don’t tell me where she is right now. And you know I couldn’t give a damn about these people.” you snarl. 

The Machine does not make a move and as a random cyclist rides by you blindly shoot at him, catching the guy in his leg, just a graze really. 

Suddenly your phone vibrates //Sierra Tango Oscar Papa// 

You smirks victoriously and look in the street camera again “Is she alive?” and The Machine hesitates to answer until you raise your gun again // Yankee Echo Sierra //

You let out a slight breath of relief until you hear the wailing of cop cars, your little stunt by shooting that guy now earning you some unwanted attention. Grumbling you point a finger at the camera “This isn’t over” warning before trying to escape with Bear, though it proves to be difficult with the gunshot wound and all but you do escape.

You halfway limp back to your apartment and make it inside with a very tired Bear. You get him a bowl of water and give him a few treats before you chuck off your boots and coat by the front door. 

Root’s alive, she wasn’t a figment, and that right there gives you hope. But before you can make your way to your room to pack for the hunting trip you notice Bear wagging his tail excitedly and trots into your room. 

You pull your gun even though you’re sure its someone you know because Bear is not on the defensive and ease yourself silently into the space. 

And there she is, just sitting on your bed dead in the center staring at her hands and not moving a muscle, she barely looks like she’s breathing.

She looks up at you and you can see the tear stains and swollen bags under her eyes. Your breath catches in your throat and you’re not so sure what to do. Yes the Machine said that Root was alive but its one thing to hear it and then see it for yourself.

“I’m so sorry Sameen” she sniffles and you drop the gun and start walking to the bed. She gets up and meets you half way. 

She brings her hands to stroke your face and you gasp at the tingling sensations from her warm hands to your cold face and you think this is real this time. Just be sure though you punch her in the jaw, hard.

She stumbles back and before she can say anything you crash your lips against hers, just as painful as the punch. 

When the need for oxygen becomes to great you pull apart though she keeps her hands on your hips, not sure when they got there but whatever. 

“Root I’m not one hundred percent sure if this is real or not but you damn well better listen” and she goes to interrupt you before you growl at her to shut up. “You pull some shit like this again, since you seem so hell bent on dying, I will shoot you myself, got it?” 

She nods her head and presses her forehead against yours as you feel her tears against your own skin and so far everything feels real enough. 

“I’m sorry Sameen” she chokes out again, and there’s that very uncomfortable feeling in your stomach again, and you know it’s guilt on her part. You sigh and shake your head.

She encircles her arms around your waist and presses a kiss to the underside of your jaw, then lightly scrapes her teeth over the same spot causing a shiver to run down your spine “This is real” she whispers against your skin.

“I don’t know but if you’re still here in the morning then I guess I’ll find out” you inform her.

She hums “I will be” and its a promise you’re not so sure you’re ready to believe yet, but you take the chance and trust her anyway turning and shoving her roughly onto the bed.

You kiss the breath out of her and bite at her lips until you taste blood, she tries to flip you over and succeeds when she accidentally hits your wound. She eases off of you immediately to check but you growl and drag her back down. 

“But Sameen you’re hurt” she tries to protest. 

You nod “I need it to” and she frowns at you “Why?” 

“If it hurts it helps me to know that this is real” you explain and she get it then but still looks very hesitant to be anything but gentle with you. 

“But Sameen-” 

“Oh for fuck’s sake Root” you sink your teeth into in her neck hard, and dig your nails into her skin. When you pull back the lust is so evident in her dark pools and she feel for the knife in her boot. 

You smile wolfishly “Please Root, make it hurt” and that does all sorts of things to her because the next thing you know she has ripped both your clothes off and has gotten to work dragging the knife up and down all over your skin, leaving bite marks all over.

The stinging and burn of the grazes only urges you on more but Root’s already working on that being three fingers deep inside of you biting at your chest and raking the knife down your abdomen. 

She completely tears you apart that night leaving you screaming and gasping for air but by the time she’s done you’ve had five electrifying orgasms. She’s had three of her own and enough marks on her body but they’re no match for yours. 

She rolls off of you and discards the knife and leans over to lick at all the welts she has left on your skin. You hiss pleasantly and push in her tongue as she savors you.

You push her away though after a while and she curls up beside you utterly spent, apparently dying’s a lot of work. 

However before you fall asleep you roll over into her now that your body has cooled and hook a leg over hers and throw and arm across her stomach. She holds you tight in return whispering sweet nothings into your ear as you drift off into a dreamless slumber.

 

In the morning you wake up aware of the soreness of your body, feeling the still sensitive skin welted with scars and you smirk. It was real and she is real. You reach out on the bed but find it cold. Your eyes shoot open to see it empty and you jump out of bed padding to the kitchen. 

And true to her word, she is still here. Literally walking around butt necked in your kitchen fooling around with pots and pans.

You sneak up behind her causing her to jump and you smirk as you nip at her shoulder.

“Morning sweetie, did you sleep well?” 

“Mhmm” you say pressing your forehead between her shoulder blades and your hands going up to play with her breasts, and she freely lets you. 

“So what do you want to do now?” she asks as she continues with breakfast that looks and smells surprisingly good. 

You ponder for a moment “Bora Bora” 

She turns to look at you and smiles at your sleepy face “I could use some sun, you know from being dead and all” she agrees and you smile as you slap the curve of her ass. 

“Alright well let me just call Lionel” you say but before you can leave she turns around and pulls you into a deep kiss, letting her tongue explore your mouth. 

“I meant what I said last night, I’m really sorry Sameen” 

“Look we can talk about it later Root for now I want you to finish my breakfast woman” you instruct her leaving to get the phone as she smiles and does just that. 

So your call Fusco and tell him what’s going on, and he’s surprised to say the least but you tell him about your plans and wishes you to have fun after he asks if he can keep Bear for a little while. You tell him yes figuring he must get lonely too even with his son sometimes not around.

So you leave Bear with him after many goodbye kisses of course, and then make your way off with Root and you’re planning on staying for an entire month. 

You get a beautiful hut right in the middle of the water and you’re happy there aren’t many people here this time of year. 

And for a whole month you stay with Root mostly naked in bed letting the sun filter over your bodies as you make up for lost time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tada! I fixed it :)

**Author's Note:**

> @T_ninja here you go <3
> 
> Next Chapter will be the happy chapter :)


End file.
